A few months ago, I was about to hit off the short sixth at Royal Dublin when this familiar voice boomed forth - "When are you going to stop using those dreadful jokes in that column of yours?" In common with his many friends in golf, I will miss Leslie Skelton, who died recently.

As a long-time member of St Anne's, where he was captain in 1969, Leslie reserved a rather special welcome for visitors from further down Bull Island. Indeed the current Royal Dublin captain, Harry McElhinney, retains vivid memories of playing a Pierce Purcell match away to St Anne's.

"From strategic points around the course, Leslie's vocal chords were in fine working order," recalled McElhinney. "And, naturally, he got the desired result. Yet we wouldn't have wanted him any other way. For all the abuse he hurled at us, he had a heart of gold." To his brother Harry at St Anne's and Wally at The Island, I extend my sincere sympathy on the loss of one of the great characters of Dublin golf.